Fast Facts: Digital Medicine - Measurement

by Andrea Coravos, Jennifer C. Goldsack, Daniel R. Karlin, Camille Nebeker, Eric Perakslis

Overview

Technology is changing how we practice medicine. Sensors and wearables are getting smaller and cheaper, and algorithms are becoming powerful enough to predict medical outcomes. Yet despite rapid advances, healthcare lags behind other industries in truly putting these technologies to use. A major barrier is the cross-disciplinary approach required to create digital tools, a process that requires knowledge from many people across a range of fields. 'Fast Facts: Digital Medicine – Measurement' aims to overcome that barrier, introducing the reader to core concepts and terms and facilitating dialogue. Contrasting 'clinical research' with routine 'clinical care', this short colorful book describes types of digital measurement and how to use and validate digital measures in different settings. And with the burgeoning development of digital medicine tools, the authors provide a timely overview of the security, ethical, regulatory and legal issues to be considered before a product can enter the market.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783318067088
Publisher:	Karger, S. Inc.
Publication date:	04/03/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	7 MB

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Lynne Graves Stephenson, MSEd (Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine)
Description: This concisely written handbook differentiates digital medicine from digital health and focuses primarily on digital medicine related to clinical trials. Researchers utilize and apply digital technologies to provide evidence-based measurements and interventions to improve health care. This useful guide to the emerging field of digital medicine addresses the need for standardized terminology, regulation of methods and practices, consideration of ethical concerns, and validated data.
Purpose: Due to the multidisciplinary nature of digital medicine, the authors seek to provide a framework of language and practices to align all participants' standards and expectations. In addition to an overview of digital medicine, they discuss the ethical, regulatory, and social aspects of digital medicine research and the need to assess and evaluate tools and devices to advance the field.
Audience: This book is written for those involved or interested in digital medicine research. These include technology experts, academic researchers, financial and industry sponsors of clinical trials, clinicians, and healthcare consumers. As wearable sensors, smart capsules, implantables, digital biomarkers, and apps become more prevalent, all stakeholders, including the general public, must share an understanding of the role digital medicine plays in promoting health and preventing disease. Written by seven authors who each approach digital medicine from a unique perspective, this manual speaks with authority to its intended audience.
Features: This compact, 96-page paperback is comprised of 10 chapters organized around four themes: digital medicine and the role it plays in clinical research; ethical, legal, and social concerns; digital measurement implications; and collective responsibilities. Convenient features include a color-coded table of contents repeated on the rear cover, staggered corresponding color blocks along the fore-edge that mark each chapter, and a user-oriented glossary. Each chapter concludes with a text box of key points followed by the chapter's references. Tables are well organized and lend clarity to the text. Most chapters contain original depictions of fundamental concepts, which are quite detailed and would benefit from a larger format. The small-scale reproduction diminishes the value of the graphics. Color employed to highlight keywords in captions and labels often lacks the vibrancy necessary to make it discernable. Although a wealth of information is presented logically and sequentially, the text would benefit from closer editing.
Assessment: This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding how digital medicine will promote advances in health care. Due to the way the authors have contextualized digital medicine, this manual differs from other publications in its focus on clinical research rather than digital health or online medicine. Through defined terminology, the description of digital medicine, and discussion of regulatory, security, and ethical issues, the result is a primer that is incisive, educational, and accessible to all motivated readers.

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